Various liquid materials are marketed in containers equipped with threaded closure caps having elongated applicator shanks supported therefrom and most of these applicator shanks extend to the bottom of the interior of the container when the cap is fully threaded on the neck of the containers. However, when the cap is not threadedly engaged with the neck of the container but merely abutted against the outer end thereof, the applicator shank is not sufficiently long to reach to the bottom of the associated container. Accordingly, in order to position the applicator of an applicator equipped cap sufficiently into an associated container to reach the last bit of liquid within the container upon the latter having its contents almost completely depleted, it is necessary to screw the cap onto the neck of the container each time the applicator shank is to contact the liquid within the container. This, of course, is time consuming.
In addition, although container caps heretofore have been provided with reciprocally supported applicator shanks such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,337,901, these reciprocal applicator shanks, while accomplishing the desired effect of enabling the applicator shanks to withdraw the final amount of liquid from the bottoms of the associated containers, include generally radially outwardly projecting abutment discs carried thereby for abutting engagement with the outer ends of the associated container necks and the abutment discs are subject to being bonded to the outer end of the container necks by the drying of liquid materials thereon from within the associated containers. Accordingly, a need exists for a container cap reciprocally supported applicator shank including structure whereby any bonding of the container neck abutting disc on the container neck outer end may be freed upon initial loosening of the container cap.
The main object of this invention is to provide a screw cap for a container including a reciprocally supported applicator shank which may extend down to the bottom of the interior of the container both when the cap is screwed on a threaded neck of the container and when the cap is abutted against the outer end of the container neck, but with the applicator shank and cap including coacting structure releasably keying the shank and thus the disc of the shank to the cap for rotation therewith while loosening of the cap from a tightened position on the neck of the associated container.
Another object of this invention is to provide a container applicator cap constructed in a manner whereby an effective manual grip on the cap may be had by a person wishing to "break" the cap loose on the neck of an associated container upon initial loosening of the cap.
Another object of this invention is to provide a container structure whose external configuration facilitates an effective manual grip on the container.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a container and cap combination constructed in a manner whereby rolling of the combination while disposed on its side on a support surface will be effectively prevented.
An ancillary object of this invention is to provide a tool by which the applicator and cap body portion of the cap may be readily assembled.
A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a combined container and cap construction in accordance with the preceding objects and which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.
These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.